The Southern Maine Area Resource Team for Schools at the University of Southern Maine has started a new after-school program to provide free and low-cost reading tutoring for kindergarten through Grade 5 students.

The program is funded by a three-year grant from the Reading Matters to Maine Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.

Called the SMART Learning Lab, the program will be housed at 62 School St. on the USM Gorham campus.

Tutoring will be provided by graduate students from the USM School of Education and Human Development two days per week for students with reading difficulties. The cost is $30 per week or free for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.

The tutoring will use evidence-based reading instruction methods, found effective in numerous research studies.

Students will complete weekly progress measures to keep track of their reading progress.

For more details, contact Dr. Alexis Kiburis, director of the SMART Learning Lab, at [email protected] or call 780-4200.

SANFORD

Donated iPads a hit with students at Waban center

Teachers at Waban’s Fraser-Ford Child Development Center say they have seen remarkable successes working with iPads in the Room for Individualized Supported Education classrooms, with a new curriculum designed to assist children with autism and other developmental disabilities in communication and language.

Helping make that program a success was the recent donation of three iPads by the Grahamtastic Connection, thanks to a grant from the Maine Walmart Foundation.

The Grahamtastic Connection is a nonprofit that exists to provide free computers and Internet access to seriously ill children for educational purposes. It also provides help to children facing learning and communication challenges.

BIDDEFORD

SMMC’s Center for Breast Care receives accreditation

Southern Maine Medical Center’s Center for Breast Care has been granted a three-year full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.

Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

SMMC opened the Center for Breast Care in 2011.

CUMBERLAND

Animal clinic breaks ground on new larger location

The Cumberland Animal Clinic, at 121 Greely Road, broke ground on its new facility, located at 216 Greely Road.

The new space will allow for more exam rooms and more pet care. The expansion is expected to be completed by early 2014.

FARMINGTON

Conference for veterans, families set for Sept. 21

Col. Jack Mosher, chief of staff of the Maine National Guard, will be one of two featured speakers at the Bringing Worlds Together Conference for veterans, family members and the community, set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the UMaine Farmington campus.

The free conference is hosted by Tri-County Mental Health Services with support from the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, Americorps Vista and community volunteers.

The event will feature nine workshops on topics ranging from legal issues and reintegrating into family and community life to traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.

Mosher has been a leader in the Maine National Guard for more than 22 years.

He has served as a national advocate for veterans’ wellness programming.

In 2009, he founded the OneLife Warrior Campaign and the annual Resilience Run to elevate the national conscience on issues relating to health awareness and risk reduction in the lives of America’s service members.

Cindy Williams, lead women veterans program manager for the Veterans Integrated Service Network and Maine’s first lady Ann LePage also will speak.

Tri-County Mental Health Services is committed to building a strong network of supports in local communities for military veterans and their family members, whether they served decades ago or in the most recent conflicts.

For more details, visit www.tcmhs.org or call Jerry DeWitt at 783-9141, ext. 228.

The Festival of Lights committee is accepting nominations through Oct. 1 for Citizen of the Year.

The committee is made up of York community members who will choose five finalists from submissions and make their recommendation based on individuals’ volunteer service benefiting the York community; those individuals need not be residents.

Those nominations will then be submitted to the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, who will make the final decision.

The winner will be announced at the annual chamber member dinner on Nov. 13. The winner also will serve as the grand marshal for the Festival of Lights Parade.

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